This invention is directed to a game of skill wherein a sperical object is caused to travel across a pathway through a plurality of object transfer mechanisms, on which the pathway is located, by causing a portion of the object transfer mechanisms to move and realign themselves.
Several games are known wherein a circular or spherical object such as a coin or ball is passed from one point to the next. One of these games, described in U.S. Pat. No. 469,948, is directed to a game wherein a plurality of pivotal containers spaced in an alternate relationship, one above the other are capable of passing a ball from one container to the next because of the change in the center of gravity of the container which holds the object. When the object is deposited in the container the container becomes top heavy and rotates about its pivot point until the object is dispensed from the container into the next container.
Another of these games, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,412, has a plurality of cup-like containers which are arranged in a horizontal row. Each container has a handle. By manipulating the handle the containers are tilted allowing a ball to be transferred from one container to the next.
In a different type of game described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,039 a ball is caused to travel over a see-saw like track by tilting sections of the track in a see-saw manner. The track contains a plurality of these individual sections which are connected together and each section pivots about a central fulcrum. Thus when one end of one section is depressed the other end is raised and this motion is propogated through the sections. The ball is moved across the sections by coordinating pivoting of the sections with movement of the ball.
Several games are known which contain what could be described as "Rube Goldberg" type mechanisms. These mechanisms are sort of far fetched arrangements wherein one event or movement of one object precipitates the movement of the second object such as "a cat chases a mouse and in turn is chased by a dog who in turn pulls a chain attached to the dog house pulling the dog house, etc." Two of these types of games are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,298,692 and 3,300,891. In both of these patents a complex series of event happen in a chain reaction because of an instability or movement passed from one component to the next. Included in these games is the movement of a spherical object over a path. However, movement of the spherical object in these games is totally under the influence of gravity and is not under the direct control of the operator of the game.
No games are known which include a series of unrelated complex events such as the two games described in the immediately preceding paragraph, but which require the operator of the game to control the movement of an object such as the three games initially described. It is considered that such a game could develop manual dexterity in coordinating the movement of an object, would be very fascinating and stimulating and thus have good play value.
In view of the above preceding discussion it is an object of this invention to provide a game of skill which encompasses a plurality of complex and independent mechanisms over which it is required to manipulate an object. It is a further object to provide a game that even though it is complex in its operation it is simple in regards to its components and manufacturing of the same thus yielding a game which is easily manufactured and economic to produce.
These and other objects as will be evident from the remainder of this specification are achieved by providing a game of skill which comprises: a support housing, a plurality of independent object transfer mechanisms of at least two nonidentical types located on the housing and arranged in a sequence with respect to one another and having at least a portion of each of the transfer mechanisms movable with respect to said housing, a plurality of control means located on the housing in a manner to operatively connect each of the control means to at least one of the object transfer mechanisms such that the movable portions of each of the plurality of the object transfer mechanisms is movable with respect to the housing in response to the control mechanisms, an object pathway passes through the sequence of the object transfer mechanisms and includes a starting end and a finishing end, in between the starting end and the finishing end the pathway is divided by a plurality of discontinuities into segments such that a segment exists between each two adjacent discontinuities and a discontinuity exists between each two adjacent segments, a spherical object is caused to move over the pathway by traveling over each individual segment between each two adjacent discontinuities by moving the movable portion of the object transfer means containing that segment and across discontinuities connecting two segments which are located on adjacent object transfer means by moving the movable portion of at least one of the object transfer means which contains the two adjacent segments and across discontinuities connecting two adjacent segments located on a singular object transfer means by moving the movable portion of the object transfer means containing the two adjacent segments, said spherical object is capable of traveling from the starting end to the finishing end of the pathway when it successfully travels over all of the segments and traverses all of the discontinuities.
The object moves over the segments by either rolling, being carried over or being propelled. At least one of the object transfer mechanisms can include a plurality of surfaces connected together and each supported by a fulcrum such that the surfaces can be moved in unison in a wavelike pattern. Another of the transfer mechanisms can include a mechanism which is rotatably mounted on the housing and includes an object holding means such that as the mechanism is rotated on the housing the object moves in an arculate pathway. Another of the mechanisms can include a surface which is supported on the housing in a tiltable manner such that it is capable to tilt the surface in any direction to cause the object to be able to role across the surface in any direction. Another of the transfer mechanisms can include the feature delineated in the previous sentence but further modified to provide a plurality of barriers forming a maze on the surface. A further transfer mechanism can include an arm pivotally mounted to the housing such that when the object is located in a holding means on the arm opposite the pivot the object can be swung in an arc and then ejected from the holding means.